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On 30 May 2022 the Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS), an agency under the Department of Health, released a notice about 28 completed chemical evaluation reports. This is the follow-up action to the request for a public consultation made in March 2022.
3E Review
The action signifies the status of work being conducted under the AICIS's plan to prioritize chemicals for evaluation, also known as the Rolling Action Plan (RAP). The short-term goal focuses on assessing at least 20% of existing chemicals (chemicals listed in the Australian Inventory of Industrial Chemicals) by 2024 and the remaining chemicals of high concern by 2030.
The AICIS provides an updated list of chemicals currently subject to the RAP in a downloadable Excel spreadsheet form. According to the May 2022 document, there is a total of 348 chemicals being evaluated under the program. The list includes chemicals and groups of chemicals that have been assigned a certain status: "completed," "in progress," or "open for public consultation." The following are some examples of chemicals that have had their evaluations completed:
- 1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triamine
- 2,5,8,11,14-pentaoxapentadecane
- 2-nonynoic acid, ethyl ester
- Ethanone, 1-(2,3,4,7,8,8a-hexahydro-3,6,8,8-tetramethyl-1H-3a,7-methanoazulen-5-yl)-
- [1,1'-biphenyl]-2-ol, sodium salt
Each chemical entry is identified with the evaluation report number linked to the complete evaluation reports. The reports contain the following information, among others:
- Existing uses and applicable regulatory control status (Australian, other countries, and international laws)
- Detailed summary of different risks and hazard classifications
- Conclusion of AICIS's decision about the associated risks and its recommendation for appropriate control measures
3E Analysis
The current chemical list covers a wide range of industrial uses from cosmetics, fragrances, and personal care to antimicrobial preservatives, biocides, and household products. Companies that import chemicals and chemical products in Australia are advised to review both completed evaluations and monitor the ongoing evaluation lists.
The results can lead to the new control of substances under other Australian regulations besides those that are governed by the AICIS (i.e., Industrial Chemicals Act 2019). This includes the measures concerning the chemical classification under the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), which are administered by the SafeWork Australia per the model Work Health and Safety Act.
The CAS RNs associated with this 3E Monitor article are among those affected by this update. For a full list of substances, please see the attached document or visit the link provided.
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